NIL Might’ve Played Factor in Tony Bennett Retiring From UVA

UVA's Tony Bennett wasn't a fan of NIL, which could've been why he retired on Thursday.

Oct 10, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia head coach Tony Bennett answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In a shocking turn of events, University of Virginia head basketball coach Tony Bennett announced his retirement.

Bennett, a national championship head coach, has been viewed as one of America's top college basketball coaches throughout his time with the Cavaliers. He was the Naismith National Coach of the Year two times, ACC Coach of the Year four times, and finished with 433 career victories.

Simply put, there aren't many resumes in college basketball history that could be put next to Bennett's.

It's uncertain what caused him to retire at this stage, but according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, Bennett isn't dealing with any health issues, thankfully.

"There is no health issue with Tony Bennett in his decision to retire, sources told @TheFieldOf68. There are likely other reasons, but the changing landscape of college basketball over the last couple years cannot be underestimated in his decision."

When the news initially came out, there were thoughts about that being an issue, as that's been the case in the past with coaches who decided to retire shortly before the season started. 

With the year starting in about three weeks, the timing of this was the most surprising part.

However, with the ever-changing landscape of the transfer portal and NIL, some notorious head coaches don't want to deal with it anymore.

The question now becomes, why did he walk away from his team with less than a month before the regular season? 

John Fanta of FOX Sports hinted at NIL being a potential reason why.

"The Tony Bennett news isn’t too shocking as he’s brought up the stressors and challenges of NIL. It’s the timing of this news that is VERY stunning. For it to be this close to the season after Bennett was just at ACC media day last week and in very good spirits is a wild shift."

This wouldn't be the first time a college head coach called it quits because of name image and likeliness.

In fact, it's been somewhat common over the past few years for college coaches to step away from the game because they don't want to deal with the stress that comes with it.

It's unfortunate that NIL has adverse effects, but it's the reality of the situation.

It was long overdue for players to be paid, and if some head coaches aren't happy about that, then maybe they need to hang them up.

While it's not confirmed that Bennett decided to retire because of it, it's an interesting point to consider.